United States forward Clint Dempsey during a game against Mexico at Columbus Crew Stadium. / David Richard, USA TODAY Sports

by Nate Scott, USA TODAY Sports

by Nate Scott, USA TODAY Sports

The USA men's national soccer team's international friendly match with Ukraine will be played in Larnaca, Cyprus, due to the political unrest in the eastern European nation.

In an announcement Monday night, U.S. Soccer said, "The Football Federation of Ukraine confirmed that their team will travel to Cyprus and the match will proceed as scheduled."

The game was initially scheduled to be played in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Wednesday but was relocated to Cyprus, before reports surfaced Monday that the game had been canceled. Reuters had reported that Ukraine's national football federation president Anatoliy Konkov told ICTV the Ukraine team would not be traveling to Cyprus: "If we do not have an opportunity to play on home soil, why shall we go to Cyprus in those troubled times for your country. We play for our people and country."

With the World Cup 100 days away, the game is important for American players looking to impress manager Jurgen Klinsmann. No. 13 in the FIFA world rankings, the Americans will face No. 2 Germany, No. 4 Portugal and No. 37 Ghana in its group when World Cup play begins.

Host nation Brazil is scrambling to make sure stadiums, airports and accommodations are ready for the nearly half a million people expected to attend. Play will be held in 12 cities around the large South American nation. Though Brazil won the bid to host in 2007, four stadiums are still under construction. In a recent press conference, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said that one stadium, in Sao Paolo, would not be finished until May 15, just three weeks before the opening kick.

There are also questions about the readiness of the airports in some of the more remote locations in Brazil. Some airports are building tents to accommodate extra passengers, while the nation's largest airport in Sao Paolo is rushing to finish a new terminal in time for soccer fans arrive from around the world.

ESPN is celebrating the 100-day milestone this week with three days of coverage on ESPNFC.com, including video segments and stories. The writer Roger Bennett will also have an oral history of the United States' 1994 World Cup.â??